Feeding and moistening gummed tape



. June 20, 1933. T. H. KRUEGER FEEDING' AND MOISTENING GUMMED TAPE Filed Oct. l, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE YS Theodore Kfz/67er B Y @am w June 20, 1933. T. H. KRUEGER FEEDING' AND MOISTENING GUMMED TAPE Filed Oct. l, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INi/ENTOR hambre/Krueger BY @aw s# @ff- A TTORNE YS Patented `l'une 20, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THEODORE H. KRUEGER, OE DERBY, CONNECTIC'OT, Ass'IGNOR-TO BETTER PACKAGES INCORPORATED, OF `SHELTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FEEDING AND MOISTENING GUMMED TAPE Application led October 1, 1929. Serial No. 396,447, and in Germany Hay 3, 1929.v

The present invention relates to improvements for dispensing and moistening gummed tape, and more particularly it relates to that type of dispenser which provides for afl roll of tape wound with' the gummed side in and in which the roll is held in a cradle or basket without the use of a supporting spindle. In this form of device the tape after leaving the roll is rel@ versed `in its travel, is then fed beneath the roll support or cradle and is presented to the moisture applicator with the gummed side down.

In general it is the object of my invention to provi e a device of this type in which the following advantages among others will be realized: (1)' a devicey which is compact and of low center of gravity; (2) a device in which the feed of the tape is facilitated 2o by the pullthereof which serves partially to lift the roll from its supporting cradle and thereby diminishesthe friction between the roll and its support, but when the pull stops and the lifting force on the roll ceases, the friction between the roll and cradle is increased and the increased friction effectively absorbs the momentum of the roll and prevents it from unwinding. (In prior tape dispensing devices where the roll of tape is so mounted on a spindle, it is necessary to provide braking devices to overcome the momentum of the roll which greatly complicate the mechanism and provide a source of trouble by getting out of order) and (3) a device in which as stated the roll is wound with the gummed side in whereby the gum is protected yagainst the atmosphere and the fingers and clothing of the operator or other persons.

More specific objects of the invention may be said to consist in the following: A

l. To provide an improved guide means for the travel of the tape from the r0ll to the moisture applicator. In accordance wlth my invention, I provide, as far as possible,

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straight paths for the feed of the tape whereby the tendency of the tape when ulled to assume a straight line path may e satisfied. Wherethe path changes I provide .guide means affording as little friction as possible, preferably in the form of rollers. In this manner sharpbends which promote friction are obviated.

2. To provide means for guiding the tape which will permit of eas loading of the 5o' device, as by merely pus ing the end 'of the tape of the roll through the guideways provided. I preferably accomplish this by providing, in addition to the rollers or pulleys mentioned, plates or lugs which form guideways which, while affording suiicient room for the tape to pass freely therethrough, nevertheless cause it to lie substantially flat, and prevent buckling of same. The stationary guide means is so arranged, however, that when the tape is pulled taut the latter will be substantially clear ofthe guidesl andy extend unsupported from pulley to pulley. l

3. Io locate the pulley around which the tape first passes from the roll at the most advantageous position so that the direction of the feed of the tape will have the correct angle for diminishing the` friction of the tape on the basket or cradle by the proper 7x amount.

4. To provide an improved moistening device which includes means for compactin the bristles of a brush moistener to the en that the moistening operation may be -ef- 8( iiciently and quickly performed and also to provide means permitting adjustment of the degree to which the bristles are compacted.

5. To provide an improved construction of the tape-cradle and guidewayspermitting same to be cheaply and easily manufactured and assembled.

In my prior Patent No. 1,567,655, dated December 29, 1925, a tape dispensing device was shown in which ,it was attempted to use a roll of tape similar to that of the present invention and in which the tape was fed from the roll through a guideway extending beneath the roll support. In the device shown in this patent, however, the above mentioned advantages were not realized for a number of reasons. One of these was that the curved guidin means shown therein adorded excessive ictioni to thetravel of the tape by reason of the fact that 100 parent as t 55 of, as seen in posed the natural tendency of the tape w out.

Other. ob'ects and advantages will be ape description proceeds and the invention will be pointed. out in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood by reference to the followin detailed description thereof taken novelty of the with t e accompanying drawings in which:

` Figure 1 is a view in vertical, longitudinal section of a preferred embodiment,

Figure 2 1s a view showing the roll of tape and manner 1n which it is unwound and 1,5' guided over the moistening device,l Figure 3 is a plan view with parts broken `awa F1, res.4 and 5 are section views taken on lines 4-4 and 5 5 of Fig. 1, respecmtively, and

Figure 6 is a view showing the pressure and guide plate and the manner of securing the same in place.

In thedrawings, 10 and 11 denote frame 25 members which constitute the sides of the device and which may convenientl vbe of cast metal, sides 10 and 11 being eld tother by means of bolts 12, 13, 14, etc. ontained within the frame members meni tioned is a cradle for the roll of tape B, such cradle being composed of a member of sheet metal, for exam le, which is secured to the frame memberslliy means of lu s 18, 19, and 21 on the under side thereo and lugs 22, 22a, 23 and 24 on the upper side. Cradle 15 is designed so as to hold the roll of tape whileA makin sufficient contact therewith so Vas to aior the proper amount of friction when the tape is unwound.

To unwind the tape, it is desirable to lead the tape upwardly as it leaves the roll for the purpose of reducing the friction of the roll againstcthe cradle during the unwinding operation and so that when the pull of the tape is stopped, the full weight of the roll is borne by the cradle, thereby increasing the friction and preventing the roll from further rotatin Accordingly, the tape is led from the ro l in an upward direction, as

50 shown, and a guideway therefor is provided,

vas follows: A roller 25 is journaled in the frame members 10 and llover which roller the free end A of the tape first passes. Below roller 25, preferably to the right there- Fig. 1, a second roller 26 is journaled in frame members 10 .and 11 together with a roller 27 to the rlght of the cradle 15 which is similarly journaled. j As stated a feature of the invention is lthat "the ide means provided ermit the end A o the tape to be thread therethrough, beneath the rollers 26 and 27, merel by feeding the same at the left end o the frame. j This is accomplished by providing av curved back andbottom plate 30 which is held by the frame members '10 and 11 by means of flanges 32 cast therein, and right noted that the cradlel and bottom members 15 and 30, respectively, serve also to hold the side membersapart and inl place by virtue of the bolts 12, 13 and 14. With reference to cradle member l5, it will be seen that it makes substantially line contacts'with the roll B at three laces. the le t hand portion in contact with lug 21,'is of steeper slope than that in contact with so that a low point occurs adjacent such hand portion. The result of this construction is to cause the tape to lie adjacent said left hand portion irrespective of the size of the roll whereby the angle at which the tape is fed oli' and around the roller 25 is constant It will be' seen further thatv lugs 18- and 19, the cradle being shapefd y within comparatively narrower limits there- A' by assuring that the friction of the roller in the end of the tape.

By means thus far described, the end of the tape may be accurately guided beneath rollers 26 and 27l inA osition for gras ing above said roller 27. or the feedingoi) the tape from this oint on, a roller 37 is rovided which is j'ournaled in frame mem ers 10 and 11 so that the top of the roller conveniently is adjacent to the top of the said frame members.

It is alsova feature of the invention lthat the location of roller 37 permits the feeding of the tape by the operator reaching his fingers in the space between said roller and the roll of tape B and pulling the tape by pressing it against the roller 37 and moving it'forward so as to rotate said roller. It is to be noted that by virtue of the arrangement of the tape feeding and guiding means the tape is presented to the operator above the roller 37 with the gummed side down.

Having described the ta cradle and the means for uidin the eed of the tape pull o therefrom, t e molstening device may now' means "of hook members at either side of said well, one of which'41 is seen in Fig. 1, such members .engaging lugs on the frame Aas members, one of which 42 is also seen in Fig.

1. Contained, in the well 40 between the end wall thereof and a lug 44 is a brush 45 for feeding water contained in the well to '5 the gummed side of the tape, brush 45 having the bristles thereof projecting above the top of the well, as shown. For the purpose of maintaining the proper compression of the bristles, and thereb the proper feed of 10 the water to the tape, t e same are squeezed slightly between a cover member 47 of said well, and the edge, preferably'slightly upturned, as shown, of a table 48 which lies upon the ends of the frame members 10 and .15 1lA as well as on top of the well 40. Cover plate 47 has depending lugs 47a as shown which have curved ends and 4by means of which by tilting the cover somewhat the pressure on the bristles of brush 45 may be varied as shown in dot and dash lines Fig. l. Movement of the table 48 away from the brush is prevented by vertical walls formed by the termination of the flanges 49 and 50 of the frame members 10 and 1l, respectively, and movement sideways, of the .frame members by means of shoulders 5l engaging behind said iange members 49 and 50 all\as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. A top guide and locking member is formed by a clip 53 which is placed over the tape on the Y table 48 and has ends engaging the sides of `the frame members and is held securely to said members by means of lugs 54 and 55 which project through slots in the ends of the clip, which, due to the springy nature of the metal thereof, snaps over said lugs and locks the well 40 to the frame members and l1. Clip 53 is also providedwith a cutting edge 56, preferably saw-toothed, against which the tape is out, after'the desired length has been pulled over the wet brush by the operators Upon removal of ,y cover 47, the brush may be tiltedforward and removed without disturbing the guide.

rlhe device is conveniently provided with base lugs 57, etc., around which rubber washers 58 may be placed, whereby the device is prevented from sliding, .due to the pulling of the tapehor .from other causes.

rllhe loading of the `machine and the threading of the tape through the machine is accomplished as follows: rlhe paper roll B is laid into cradle l5. rlhe free end of the tape strip A is then grasped by the operator who passes it over roller 25 and tucks or pushes it downward between roller .25 and the rear wall of the base plate 30 where- 'by the strip Iis threaded between roller 26 on one side and base plate 30 on the other side,from there on it passes between flanges 34 and 35 on one side and base plate 30 on the other side, then between guide roller 27 and base plate 30 and finally projects out over roller 37. The' operator then inserts 35 it through the slit between plate 48 and clip 53. During the threading of the strip into the straight chute formed on one side of the strip by flanges 34 and 35 and on the other side by base plate' 30 the buckling of the paper, which might occur due to its being threaded or pushed from behind is prevented by the fact that the space between these' lugs 34 and 35 andI base plate 30 is so small that the strip is held almost fiat during its passage through the chute.

Furthermore, due to the fact that the gummed side of the tape is down, any tendency of the tape to curl laterally does not result in the end of the tape striking lugs 34, 35. Instead, such curled portions merely hug the bottom member 30.

In feeding out a desired length of strip whose front edge at the beginning of the operation is located immediately under the cutting edge 56, the operator presses the tape with his linger against roller 37 and then revolves the roller, drawing the tape forward with it. The front edge of strip A is thereby advanced far enough beyond the slit between plate 48 and clip 53 so that the end which now projects over the water tank can be grasped (see Fig. l). Grasping this free end of strip A the operator now pulls on it until he has withdrawn the desired length of strip whereupon he cuts or tears it oli against the cutter edge 56 with an upward motion of the hand.

Whenever the operator in this manner feeds the'tape this pulling on one end of the strip together with the inertia of the paper roll B and the friction between roll B and cradle 15 causes the intervening length of I tape to be drawn taut. This drawing taut of the strip causes it to assume the shortest possible ath, namely a straight path, in passing rom one guide roller to the next guide roller, for instance, from roller 26 to roller 27 and therefore when the strip is drawn taut there is no substantial contact or friction between the strip and base plate 30 or between the strip and anges 34 and 35. The use of guide rollers therefore makes possible a straight and extremely thin or shallow chute 30, 34 and 35, the thinness of the chute having the great advantage of holding the tape almost flat during the initial threading operation thereby preventing buckling of the strip when it is pushed into the chute' from behind; the straightness of this chute preventing friction on the strip when it is later pulled taut from the exit end of the machine.

As soon as strip A is drawn taut it exerts components of force on supply roll B tending to lift roll B against .the force of gravity, this being due to the particular location of roller 25. rllhis and the momentum which roll B develops once it is in motion decreases the resistance to the forward pull on stri A. Howeventhe instant the forward pull as'when the" strip is cut on strip A ceases,

56, the frictional is desired, and it accomplishes this braking .action without any additional mechanism vsuch as friction plates ortension springs von the side of the paper roll which would have to be used if the roll B were mounted so as to turn on a spindle extendin through its center. Aside from other isadvantages, extra braking devices such as are necessary with aspindle mounting have the great fault of continuing their brakin action not only after the feeding ull of izhe tape but also during the entire eeding operatlon.

While I have described 'my preferred embodiment in detail, it will be understood that various changes may be made therein within the scope of my invention, and that parts thereof may be used without others. I also desire to point out that while many advanf tages of my device will be sacrificed, it is nevertheless possible to use it without modification for containing and moistening tape which is wound on the outside in circumstances in which this is the only form ofV tape available.

I claim; l.y A tape dispensing device comprising a air of frame'members, a supporting memiier for a roll of tape, a bottom member beneath said supporting member and rollers around which said tape'is guided, said frame members having 4lugs for holding said supporting and said bottom members and hav lng journals for said rollers and bolts for holding said frame members together gainst said supporting and bottom mem- 2. In a tape dispensing device, a support for a roll of tape comprising a member of generally concaveshape in the nature of a cradle, a guide member around which the tape passes as it is fed from said roll, said support having a portion adjacent said guide which is steeper than the remaining portions thereof, whereby the lowest point is adjacent the end of said portion first mentioned and said roll is caused to gravitate to a position against said first mentioned portion irrespective of the size of the roll.

3. A strip serving device of the pull out type in which a roll of mmed tape wound with the gummed .side 1n is disposed within a tape basket, and which affords `means whereby a desired length of moistened tape may be withdrawn, characterized by a feeding mechanism for said tape hav- `whereby a ing guiding elements which permit the vtape to be fed from a point behind and above the bottom of the roll, thence downwardly and beneath the tape basket and then upwardly to the point of delivery of the tape above the bottom of said roll, such guiding elements comprising four guide rollers at the turns respectively of said tape and a stationary uide beneath said basket disposed suilicient y close to the bottom of the basket as to permit the end of the tape to be pushed from behind. during the loading o eration without buckling but offering substantially no interference to the feed of the `tape when pulled.

4. A stripserving device .of the pull out type in fwhich a roll of wound with the gummed side 1n is dis osed within a ta e basket, and which a ords means where y a desired length of moistened ummed tape tape may be withdrawn, characterized by having a frame adapted to rest upon a table or other supporting surface and containing the tape basket w ich is disposed close to the bottom of the frame 'but affording a space between the basket and the bottom' of the frame -suliicient to permit passage of the tape therebetween, whereby the center of gravity of the device is low, and b feeding mechanism comprising antiriction guiding elements vpermitting the tape to be fed from a point behind and above the bottom of the roll thence downwardly beneath the basket and then upwardl to the point of delivery of the tape a ove the bottom of said roll, and guide ways between said elements serving to ide the feed of the tape and to prevent iickling when pushed in from behind during the loading operation, but oiering substantially no interference to the feed of the tape caused by pulling the end thereof, said when pulled.

5. In a strip serving device of the pullout type in which a 'roll of gummed tape wound with the gummed side 1n isdisposed in a tape basket and which affords means desired length of moistened tape may be withdrawn, a feedin mechanism comprising anti-friction guidlng elements rmitting the tape to be fed from a point Khind and above the vbottom of the roll, thence downwardly beneath said ta e basket and upwardly to the point of elivery of the tape above the bottom of said roll, andr guide ways between said elements serving to guide the feed of the tape and-prevent buckling thereof when pushed in from behind during the loading o offering substantially no inter erenee to the feed of the tape caused by pulling the end thereof, said anti-friction guiding elements ration' l but temeva being disposed so as to provide straight line paths of travel between said elements for the ta e when pulled.

6. iii a strip serving device of the p out type in which a roll of gummed tape wound with the gummed -side in is disposed within a tape basket and which adords means whereby a desired length of moistened tape may be withdrawn, a feeding mechl@ anism for said tape comprisingrollers per mitting the tape to be fed from a point behind and above the bottom `of the roll, thence downwardly beneath said basket and upwardly to the point of delivery of the tape i5 above the bottom of said roll, and guide ways between said rollers serving to ide the feed of the tape and to prevent buc ing thereof when pushed in from behind during the loading operation but offering substan- 2@ tially no interference to the feed of the tape caused by pulling the end thereof. A strip serving device of the pull out type in which a roll 'of gummed tape wound with the gummed side in is disposed within a tape basket, and which aords means whereby a desired length of moistened tape may be withdrawn, characterized by having a frame adapted to rest upon a table or other supporting surface and containing the tape basket which is disposed close to the bottom of the frame but aording a space between the basket and the bottom of the frame sucient to permit passage of the tape therebetween, whereby the center of gravity of the device is low, and by feeding mechanism comprisin anti-friction guiding elements permitting t e tape to be fed from a point behind and above the bottom of the roll, thence downwardly beneath the basket and then upwardly7 to the point of dellivery of the tape above the bottom of said ro in testimony whereof I have aed my signature to `this specication. THEODORE H. KRUEGER. 

